Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Visa, Safety and Flight Tips for Tourists to Australia


Australia is hugely popular among Britons as a holiday destination. Millions of British citizens book flights to Australia every year. It is also important for them to be completely familiar with various aspects of travelling to Australia.

Australia is replete with tourist delights and attractions – be it natural splendours or contemporary lures.

The incredible deserts, the brilliant beaches, the charming coral reefs and the lush green forests intermingle with some of the world’s finest architectural marvels, pulsating nightlife and super shopping options to create a holiday destination that is very hard to beat! Britons constitute the major portion of the tourists who book flight tickets to Australia as cities such as Sydney, Perth, Cairns and Melbourne are incredibly popular with them.

The popularity of Australia among Britons warrants that travellers remain well versed with different aspects of travelling to the country.

Entry Requirements

Visa
Britons do need a visa to travel to Australia. There are two types of electronic visitor visas available to the British citizens who intend to travel to Australia - eVisitor Visa and Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

eVisitor Visa requires no application charge or service fee, and can be obtained directly from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship. ETA can be applied through travel agents or airlines, and requires a service fee of A$20.

Passport Validity
Australia does not have any minimum passport validity requirement, but those travellers who plan an onward journey to other countries in the region must check the passport validity policies of those countries.

Safety and Security Tips

Crime
Crime against foreign tourists is not unheard of in Australia. Travellers must take appropriate safety measures to ensure a peaceful stay in the region. Always take care of your valuable possessions and important travel documents like passport. Opt for a hotel room that features a safe as it allows you to keep your valuable belongings secure.

Certain tourist spots in popular holiday cities like Sydney, Perth, Cairns and Melbourne are most susceptible to crime against holiday makers. Avoid travelling at night and follow fundamental safety measures.

Beach Safety
The beaches in Australia are popular as surfing spots. However, the beaches here have witnessed a string of surfing accidents. Holiday makers are advised to follow basic precautions while indulging themselves.

Always swim between the red and yellow flags. These flags indicate a stretch that is supervised by life guards. You should also avoid going for a swim after consuming alcohol or drugs.

Flight Information
No airline offers direct flights to Australia from the UK as the distance is too huge to be covered in a single stretch. However, a good number of carriers offer hopping and indirect flights. Qantas, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, Royal Brunei, Singapore Airline and Emirates are some great choices for flying indirect to Australia. Royal Brunei is also popular for offering cheap tickets.

Baggage allowance for most airlines is similar, while Qantas and Emirates are the ones that offer A380 flying experience to the passengers

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